Car-coupling



(No Model.)

N. A. 000m-R2 GAR GUUPLING. a I Y No. 564,973. Patelfwd Aug. 4, 1896.

mm1! l f Imi? Newtewjwou per;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTON A. COOPER, OF 1WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,973, dated August 4, 1896.

Application filed January 20, 1896. Serial No. 576,171. (No model.)

To LU whom t iii/ay concern.:

Beit known that I, NEWTON A. COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vinchester, in the county of Frederick and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful OanGoupler, of which the following` is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car-couplings and to provide one capable of coupling automatically and of being readily uncoupled Without going between cars, and also to provide means for automatically coupling the air-brake connections when two cars come together and for automatically cutting oit the air when the cars are uncoupled.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended'.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a car-couplin g constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section al view. Fig. is a side elevation. Figs. 5 and 7 are detail views illustrating the construction of the air-pipe couplings. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View illustratin g the construction of the cushion of the draw-bar.

Like numerals of reference designate correspending part-s in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a hookshaped draw-head provided With a shank 2 and pivoted intermediate of the ends thereof by a vertical pin 4 to a bracket 5, designed to be mounted on a. car by means of stirrups or hangers and capable oi' a limited longitudinal movement. The bracket is provided with sides 6, and has secured to it beneath the shank of the drawhead a draw-bar 7, designed to be connected with any suitable cushion to take up the shocks and jars. The front end of the drawbar is perforated to receive the pivot 4, and is secured in rear of the shank ot' the drawhead by a vertical pin 8, mounted in perforations of the bracket and a cross-piece 9 at the bottoni thereof.

The cushion of the draw-bar preferably consists of a cylinder 7, open at its outer end, a piston-head 7b, and a piston-rod 7, pivotally connected at its terminals to the pistonhead and the rear or inner end of the drawbar. A

The draw-head is capable of swinging horizontally to couple automatically and is cushion ed in its lateral movements and maintained in proper position to hold it in engagement with a corresponding drawhead by a pair of spiral springs 10, arranged within the bracket and interposed between the sides thereotI and the shank and located at the rear end of the latter.

The draw-head is connected with its shank by a knuckle-joint 11, and is arranged t0 swing upward to eiect the operation of uncoupling, and the operation of uncoupling is performed by means of a transverse rockshaft 12, j ournaled in suitable bearings of a pivoted block 18, provided at its inner end with an arm, and connected with the drawhead by a short chain. The outer end of the rock-shaft may be provided with any suitable form of handle, and any suitable means may be employed for enabling the operation of uncoupling to be performed from the top of a car or the platform of a coach.

The pivoted block 13 is connected with the bracket by the vertical pivot 4, and it consists of an upper horizontal portion and depending vertical sides 15 and 16. The horizontal portion has its rear edge curved, and it is seated in a recess of the bracket to form a knuckle-joint, and shoulders 17 are provided at the terminals of the curved rear edge to limit the swing of the pivoted block. The depending side 15 has a rounded outer or front edge 18, and the other side, 16, is provided at its front edge with a vertical recess 19, adapted to receive the curved edge 18 of a corresponding coupling. The side 15 carries a male section 2O of an air-brake coupling or connection, and the side 16 carries a female section 21. The male section is mounted in suitable openings or perforations of the adjacent sides of the pivoted block and the brackets and projects from the former, and

- brakeconnection, and itis provided with ak is adapted to enter a socket 22 from the female section, whereby when two cars come together the air-brake connections will be automatically coupled. f

a stop-cock or cut-off 24 closed when a car is uncoupled. A stop-cock or cut-off 24 is mounted on each of the sections of theaircrank-arm arranged in a substantially X- shaped recess 25 of the pivoted block, whereby, when the -sections of the couplings are reciprocated, incident to cars coupling and uncoupling, the cut-offs or stop-cocks will be automatically operated Vto open them when the cars couple, and .to close them when the cars are uncoupled or separated.

The spiral springs 23 cushion the pivoted block and enable the same to yield to any movement on cars incident to thek passage of a train over a rough road-bed Vand to prevent the sections of the air-brake connection from becoming accidentally uncoupled. f

It will be seen that the car-coupling is eX- ceedingly simple, inexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable in operation and capable of automatically coupling and of being readily uncoupled without goin g between cars, and that the air-brake connections are automatically coupled. It will also be apparent that the cut-offs or valves of the air-brake connections operate automat ically and establish a communication between the cars when coupled and shut off the air when the cars are uncoupled, so that there is no leakage or loss of air.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention.

NVhat I claim isl. In a car-coupling, the combination with a bracket or support, of a draw-head having a shank pivoted intermediate of its ends to the bracket or support, and capable of swinging horizontally, said draw-head being connected with its shank by a hinged joint and capable of swinging upward to eect the operation oi' uncoupling, and cushions arranged at opposite sides of the shank in rear of the pivotal point, substantially as and for the purpose described.`

2.k ln a car-coupling,-the combination of a bracket, a Vshank disposed longitudinally thereof and pivotally connected therewith, a draw-head hinged to kthe `front end kof the shank and capable of swinging upward, cushioningfsprings located at opposite sides of the shank in rear of the pivotal point, and a drawbar connected with the bracket and extending rearwardly therefrom, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling,tl1e combination of a bracket or support, a block pivotally connections disposed at opposite sides of the pivot of the block, and springs actuating the airbrake connections and cushioning the pivoted block, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination of a suitable support provided with a substantially X-shaped recess, a reciprocating pipe or section mounted on the support, and a cock or cutoff having an arm arranged in the said recess, substantially as and for the purpose described. o

5. The combination of a bracket, a block pivoted to the bracket and comprising a horizontal kupper portion having a curved rear N. A. COOPER. Witnesses:

JOHN H. SrGGERs, G. C. SHOEMAKER.

Y nected therewith, adraw-head, air-brake conn 

